


Every beat, every sound

by NotMarie



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: AU, Band, Business, M/M, Slight Homophobia?, Soonhoon - Freeform, but yeah, drummer!Jihoon, idk how to tag, sorry - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-13
Updated: 2017-01-27
Packaged: 2018-09-17 05:44:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 11,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9307934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotMarie/pseuds/NotMarie
Summary: Jihoon always listened to his mother's voice, Soonyoung taught him how to listen to his own.





	1. Listen

_Jihoon's at it again._

Echoes of his playing filled the small, sound-proofed room. It was small, cramped, restricting, but Jihoon has never felt so free. Every beat of the drums, every sound the drumsticks made against the instrument, it made him feel _alive_.

 

_"Jihoonie, study. One day, you'll run our business so you better be prepared."_

_"Jihoonie, quit that club. It won't be good for your studies."_

_"Lee Jihoon! I let you go to expensive music lessons so you can put then to good use, not to pursue it as a career!"_

_"Jihoon, music can't grant you a good life. This is our business, we don't run entertainment companies, or music shows, we sell things for a living!"_

_"Why won't you be like your yonger brother, he excels in what he does. He'll be a great doctor someday."_

_"Your brother will be taking up Law, so you better keep up with your studies. We don't want hyung to be embarrassed of you, right?"_

_"Yes, mama."_

 

_Jihoon was homeschooled for elementary, he entered a private school in senior high. He spent most of his childhood in his room. Jihoon's room was large, its walls painted blue, book shelves by the corner, an electronic keyboard at one side, and two rooms connected to it which served as bathroom and walk-in closet. He also had his own computer, television, and wii there. It had everything he needed. The room in front his was his elder brother's, the one beside his was his dongsaeng's, and beside his hyung's room was his parents. Maids always walked back and forth their house, his younger brother always stayed in his room to study. There was always someone with him in the house, but Jihoon had never felt this alone._

 

Jihoon studies Business Administration at some expensive university in Seoul. Since he lives in busan, he looked for a dorm around the area. Since his parents were busy, he searched on his own. For a boy who grew up pampered and born with a silver spoon in his mouth, Jihoon was doing well. He had his parents' money at his disposal, but he settles with a small apartment with two other college students. It was smaller than his room back home, but Jihoon felt more at home here.

 

Seoul was a breathe of fresh air. The skyscrapers were intimidating, the people looked intimidating, but everything is bearable. However, the moment he entered his classes, he felt like he's trapped over and over again. His mother's words echoed in his head.

 

" _Jihoonie, you're going there to study, okay?"_

_"Jihoonie, make your mother proud."_

 

He couldn't take it, it was suffocating. Later he'd find himself in the music room, playing the drums to his heart's content. It was his breather, his fresh air. In this small sound-proofed room, he couldn't hear the voices. He wasn't force to be who he isn't.

He was enjoying the solitary confinement when he heard someone clapped. The man stood by the door. He was wearing a white muscle tee that clung to his sweaty body. His hair was blonde, and he wore black earrings.

"Woah. That's wicked!"

The blond-haired man approaches him and extends his hand.

"I'm Kwon Soonyoung, and you need to join my band."

 

It was a very tempting offer, but every time he'd consider joining, his mother's voice echoed in his head. The man was persistent though. He'd chase Jihoon around the campus, bribe him with food, and would offer him all sorts of things. Jihoon didn't need any of those though, he could buy anything he wanted and was more than willing to join the band. However, he can't. He thinks he can't join. His mother wouldn't be happy to hear it.

The man is very stubborn, but he was popular. He asked his housemates about him one time. He then knew that the man was also studying a business related course. He then wonders how the man could afford to play around at such crucial time in their life.

The next time he sees the man, he asks it in a rude way.

 

" _How could you play around like this, huh? Don't you have anything better to do with your life? I didn't come here to fool around, so if you would excuse me."_

_"I know that."_ Soonyoung says. Jihoon stops in his tracks, back still facing the man. _"I know that we didn't came here to play. I know it better than anyone else_." Soonyoung pauses, he takes a deep breath.

Jihoon turns to face him and listens with a brow raised.

" _But after we graduate, what will become of us? Will we succeed in life? So I'm doing this, I'm enjoying while it lasts. This could be the last time that we could play like this, so please help me. Just come to the same music room tomorrow at five. Just once. If you don't like it, you can leave_." And he bows before he starts walking.

 

The next day, Jihoon ignored his mother's voice and decided to listen to his. Jihoon shows up and decides to play with the band for the rest of his uni life.

 

 

It has been months since they started playing. They've been through performances together. They're band was composed of Jisoo, the rhythmic guitarist and vocalist, Jeonghan, the bassist, Soonyoung on the keyboard and back-up vocals, Seungcheol on the lead guitar, an Jihoon on drums.

Jihoon and Soonyoung were both a year younger than the three. Being of the same age as Jihoon, Soonyoung was closer to him than the older people.

They've played lots of times, been to gigs in bars and restaurants. Soonyoung called him Jihoonie, too. Apparently, he was five months older than Jihoon, and the younger lets it be.

It was in the middle of practice when Jihoon spaced out for a while and lost his tempo. Everyone was tired so they decided to take a break. He was so frustrated. Soonyoung sits beside him and gives him a bottle of water. Jihoon took it and nodded.

"Jihoonie, please take care of your self." Soonyoung pauses and places his hand on the younger's forehead. "Have you eaten? You look pale." Jihoon smiles. For the first time in his life, he came to love the nickname. Before he knew it, he's falling for the stubborn man.

 

He doesn't recognize his feelings at first. The next thing he knew, he'd admire the way he passionately played the keyboard, and he wonders, has his voice always this pleasant to the ears? He'd walk around the night market and looking at stuff, he'd ask will he like this? He'll carry extra packs of tissue for the man.

It was almost Christmas. After a gig at a bar, they sat at the lounge and celebrated by having a few drinks. Soonyoung sat beside him. The man was already tipsy. He kept calling and praising Jihoon.

"Our Jihoonie here, we couldn't do it without you." and pinches Jihoon's cheeks. He doesn't like being touched by people but he decides to let it slide.

 

The way he called Jihoon, it wasn't like how his mother called him. He said his nickname as if he was caling the most precious person alive. His voice was laced with care, unlike his mother's authoritative one. His touch was warm, so alive. His eyes sees the good in everything, and his mouth speaks of good things. Jihoon woke up in the middle of exams week and realized that he already fell for him.

 

Soonyoung loves music. It gave him the freedom he needed. However, he gave up his dreams to fulfill his parents'. Soonyoung came from a rich family, they had a family business which is growing bigger. He saw how hard his parents worked for it.

As the only child, he couldn't let it go to ruins. He then decides to give up his dreams and studied a business related course. However, he'd like to make the best out of his days as a student. He got the idea from an older roommate.

" _Let's start a band!"_

Soonyoung was looking for an available music room. He then found one and slowly opened the door. He saw a man playing the drums as if it was making him alive. The sound of happiness, of freedom, it resounded in the room. You can feel the pain, frustration, and happiness with every hit. The man looked so passionate, and he was an amazing drummer.

At that moment, Soonyoung swore he fell in love.

He found their drummer, and his love.

 

Soonyoung was not so subtle with flirting with Jihoon. Everyone else knew, everyone exept Jihoon. How dense could he be?

 

February came, and he decided to confess his feelings. He asked the boy to meet up with him in the same music room. He knows it's lame, but he thought of giving it a shot.

 

Since Jihoon and Soonyoung are meeting in the music room, Jihoon thought it was just another meeting. Still, he dressed nicely in a button up shirt and ripped jeans. He fixed his now pink hair and smiles at his reflection. He touched his hair and remembered when the two of them dyed it at the same time. They chose hilarious colors, but Jihoon didn't expect that pink hair would look fine with him, and that blue hair with look so good on Soonyoung.

He flashes another contented smile and starts walking out the house. He earned smug grins on his housemates faces, but he just shrugged them off.

Jihoon stares at the familiar door. He took a deep breath and slowly turned the knob. When he saw various types of flower petals scattered on the floor, his heart skipped a beat.

Jihoon then shifts his gaze to his bandmates that stood in the room. Jisoo and Seungcheol stood on both ends with their guitars. Jeonghan was somewhere between Soonyoung and Jisoo, he sat on the beat box. Soonyoung stood next to Seungcheol, his keyboard with him. He flashes Jihoon a nervous smile, and Jeonghan starts counting to the beat.

The band starts playing a soft melody, but Jihoon recognizes this song. Soonyoung sang with all his heart. Jihoon felt tears form in his eyes. He was so happy. At that moment, all he could hear was the sound of his heart beating as he listened to the band and to Soonyoung. His mother's voice were drowned in Soonyoung's, and he forgot about it for a while.

As soon as the set list was over, Soonyoung smiled and offers a new pair of drumsticks to Jihoon. Jihoon looks at Soonyoung, who was sweating heavily. Soonyoung smiles, but his hands were terribly shaking. Jihoon lets a giggle escape his mouth and nods as he took the drumsticks.

"Is this a yes?" Soonyoung asks nervously. Jihoon nods his head with a smile.

"Definitely." Soonyoung was very giddy. He then calms down and offers his hand.

"This band won't be the same without you. Care to play with us one more time before the day is over?" Soonyoung asks. Jihoon takes Soonyoung's hands and smiles.

Soonyoung then lead Jihoon to the drumset. Jeonghan stood up and wears the strap of his bass guitar.

The group of boys looked a Jihoon with smiles, as if expecting him to start. Jihoon takes a deep breath, closes his eyes, and hits his drumsticks against each other.

"One... Two... Three... And!"

The sound of the drums filled his ears in the same cramped room, but this time, the drums isn't alone. It accompanied guitars, keyboards, and beautiful voices, and Jihoon couldn't be happier.

Jihoon has never felt this special.

 

Jihoon has never felt this loved.


	2. Two

Two months since they started dating, Soonyoung asks Jihoon a favor.

" _Jihoon, can you come with me and meet my family?"_

Nervous was an understatement. He was shaking, Jihoon was very anxious. He couldn't think straight. Before he knew it, Soonyoung was with him at a flower shop.

" _What are the flowers for, Soonyoung?"_

_"I told you to call me yeobo, yeobo."_

_"Sorry y-yeobo._ " Jihoon felt his cheeks heat up, but he asked the same question. They now walk out of the shop, Soonyoung held Jihoon's hand and placed it in the pocket of his coat. He then answers Jihoon's question.

" _My mother loves flowers, yeobo. She loves crimson red roses so much."_ Soonyoung smiles at Jihoon, and they head to where they should go.

Jihoon was shocked as they stopped by the cemetery gates, but he decided to let Soonyoung lead. After a few minutes of walking, they stopped in front of a simple mausoleum. Soonyoung holds Jihoon's hands tighter, which Jihoon returned. He shows Jihoon a smile and enters. Inside it, Jihoon saw two erns in a glass box. In front the erns were pictures of the deceased whose ashes laid there. Beside the glass box were pictures of a family.

Soonyoung smiles and opens the glass box. He places the bouquet of crimson red roses in front of the erns and closes the glass box again. He holds Jihoon's hands and bows. Jihoon bows after him. After a few seconds, Soonyoung starts to speak.

_"Hello mom, hello dad! It's been a while since I last went here. I'm sorry, I've been busy with our business and the school. Oh, I started a band, mom! You always liked seeing me play, so I'm sorry if I couldn't pursue the music career track. I just can't imagine to see the family business you worked hard to start go to ruins."_ Jihoon watched as Soonyoung talked to his parents, and he felt happy seeing this side of Soonyoung. He looked like a very fragile kid who tells his mom everything as soon as he gets home. Soonyoung looks at Jihoon and raises their hands that were intertwined.

" _Mom, Dad, this is the person I love._ " Soonyoung puts their hand down but he held Jihoon's hand tighter. " _I know you wouldn't mind if I love a guy, you two has always been supportive of me even knowing that I'm bisexual, so I think you'll be fine with it. Jihoon is the best thing that happened to me after you left, mom and dad. He is so talented, and smart, and kind. You'd get along with him, dad. You both have terrible mood swings."_ Soonyoung lets out a soft chuckle. Jihoon glares at him.

" _I'm kidding, dad. If you two were here, I think you'd love him as much as I love him."_ Soonyoung held back his sniffs. Jihoon rubs circles against Soonyoung's hands with his thumb. Soonyoung wiped his tears hurriedly and smiles.

" _Mom, dad, I came to ask for your blessings."_ Soonyoung bows once again. Jihoon bows too. They stood straight and Soonyoung speaks afterwards. "I hope you'd love Jihoon as much as how you love me." Soonyoung looks at Jihoon with such loving eyes. The wind blew, and a warm air surrounded the two of them. Jihoon smiles. Soonyoung lets out a small laughter and bids good bye to his parents.

' _The next time I come here, It'll be after Jihoon agrees to marry me. Wait for us, mom and dad!_ ' Soonyoung says in his mind. Jihoon sees the smug grin on Soonyoung's face and he couldn't help but smile.

_At this moment, Jihoon finally understood why Soonyoung was so persistent with starting the band. Soonyoung needs this chance more than anyone else. Just like Soonyoung, this could be the last time Jihoon gets to play. He finally understood, and now shares same sentiments with the man. He felt sad because of the uncertain future, but he will be more willing to face it as long as Soonyoung is with him. He looks at their hands, fingers intertwined. He loved how everything seems to fit together. Jihoon smiles at Soonyoung._

They walked hand-in-hand and decided to go to the mall. They went home afterwards.

  
Semestral break came. Jihoon didn't want to, but he goes home to Busan for a family gathering. Jihoon made sure to contact Soonyoung from time-to-time. Soonyoung would often reply texts like ' _it's so boring without you._ ', _'i miss the band_ ', ' _but I miss you more'_. Soonyoung even joked about going to Jihoon's house to properly say his greetings to his future parents-in-law, to which Jihoon objected. His parents didn't even know that he is in a band, let alone have a boyfriend, so he and Soonyoung would be dead meat once they find out.

Jihoon was back to his house, and he felt alone again. He was happy that Soonyoung made him less lonelier, he was very grateful. It was back to those fancy dinners. In their dining room, along with his two brothers and his parents. They sat on both sides of the long dining table, his father sitting on the farthest edge. His mother sat beside his father. His brothers were beside his mom and dad, and he sat beside his younger brother that sat next to their mom. They eat in dead silence. The sounds of the utensils lightly brushing against the plate was all that filled Jihoon's ears. His mother then starts a small conversation.

" _Good job with acing the sem, Jeonhoo. Keep it up, and you'll be a lawyer in no time. Then, the law firm will be at your care._ " The eldest gave a small smile and said, " _Thank you mama. I will._ " and goes back to eating. His mother shifts his gaze to Jihoon. Jihoon hates that smile, it suffocates him.

" _Jihoonie, we've seen your marks. Your grades were okay, but two people in your class got higher grades in this major subject. Do better, okay?"_ Jihoon's grip on the knife he held became tighter. He then sighs and lets it be. He looks at his mother with an uninterested face and nods. His mother's smile didn't falter. His mom now looks at the youngest of the three. The boy's hands were slightly shaking but only Jihoon saw it. His mom speaks.

" _Jinyoung, what happened to your grades in biology?"_

Jihoon saw his brother's adam's apple Bob up and down before he answered.

" _The teacher didn't like my final paper, mom. He thought it was plagiarized or something and gave me a very low mark._ " Jinyoung says truthfully.

" _Did you plagiarize it?_ " His mom asks. Jinyoung shook his head. Their mother smiles. The mother then looks at his husband.

" _I'm quite disappointed, jagi. Our son got a remark he didn't deserve. I just hope he isn't lying to us._ " Their mother says to their dad. Jinyoung puts his hand on his lap, Jihoon places his hand on top of his brother's and gave it a comforting grip.

" _Let's talk to the teacher when the school starts, jagi_." Their father says. Their mother smiles contentedly. Jihoon then stood up, mumbled a short 'thanks for the food.' and walked to his room. He couldn't bear the sight of his mother, it was too much for Jihoon.

 

The break ended, and Jihoon felt free again. The first thing he did as he came back to the apartment he shared with two other guys was to clean their house. Jihoon felt frustrated by the fact that only three lived there but their house is a disaster. Good thing Soonyoung came to the rescue. His housemates came that night to a clean house and they thanked Jihoon for that. Jihoon pretended to be annoyed, but he was actually fine with it. Jihoon introduced his boyfriend to his housemates. It was a bad move though. As soon as he was introduced, Soonyoung was bombarded by hundred questions about himself.

" _You're the maknae of this house, Jihoon. We can't let you date just anyone_." Jun, his chinese housemate who was older by about five months argues.

" _Yeah. You're the maknae, yet you're the one who got a boyfriend first. You are disrespecting your hyungs._ " Wonwoo, his other housemate says as he playfully hits Jihoon's shoulder.

After arguing some more, Jihoon and Soonyoung leaves for dinner. They also went on a stroll along Han river.

" _You've got protective housemates, Jihoonie. I think I almost died!_ " Soonyoung says as he clutched his chest. Jihoon laughs.

 

They decided to lie on the grass and do some stargazing before they go home. Jihoon's head was on Soonyoung's arm. Soonyoung points at stars that are still visible. Jihoon didn't notice, but he was now staring at Soonyoung's face. He admired every nook of the older's face. Soonyoung looks at him and playfully scolds him.

" _Yah! We came here to stargaze, not to admire my handsome face._ " And Soonyoung grins. Jihoon smiles and says. " _I am stargazing."_

Soonyoung furrowed his brows and moved his body to face Jihoon's side. " _You're not"_

Jihoon smiles even wider. He stares at Soonyoung. _"I am. I'm looking at the brightest star right now."_ Jihoon smiles, and his eyes turned to those perfect crescents. Soonyoung lies flat on the grass and fans himself with his hand. Jihoon stands, looks at Soonyoung with a triumphant look, and starts walking. Soonyoung sat up straight and shouts.

" _Ya! You can't make my heart flutter then leave me here. Ya!"_ Soonyoung runs after Jihoon. As soon as he catches up to Jihoon, he wraps an arm on Jihoon's shoulders and looked at him with those smiling eyes. Jihoon looks at him and gives a small smile. Soonyoung brings their foreheads together and kisses the tip of Jihoon's nose. Jihoon blushed at the gesture, but he didn't mind. Soonyoung walks him back to the apartment.

Soonyoung waves at Jihoon and gestures him to go inside. Jihoon hesitates for a moment before he ran back to Soonyoung, tiptoed to kiss his cheek, and ran into the apartment. He slams the door shut and holds his face with his hands. He starts fanning himself and decided to call it a day.

Soonyoung was frozen outside the apartment. His hand caressed the cheek Jihoon kissed. He smiles, brings his palm to his lips, and plants a soft kiss there too. Soonyoung goes home happily.

 

They were back to the old days. They'll practice after the last class of the bandmates, and play on gigs at night. They don't earn big money, but it's enough to help each and everyone of them with their bills. Jihoon and Soonyoung would go out from time to time. They even helped each other review in classes they both have.

Jihoon was sitting in a booth with his band members. They were having a celebratory drink after a good gig and a good pay. After downing his third shot, Jihoon received a text.

_New Message!_  
From: Wonu  
Jihoon! Your mom came and asked for your whereabouts, I told them I don't know. Where are you anyway?

Jihoon sobers up after reading the text. Soonyoung shot him a confused look. Jihoon looks at him and just shook his head. He excused himself and went outside the bar. He dials his mom's number.

_Call connected!_

_"Jihoonie! Where are you? I dropped off your apartment because I'm here in Seoul for three days. I decided to check on you."_

Jihoon felt his palms sweating. He was too nervous.

" _I-uhm, I'm going to sleep in a friend's house, we're doing a group study because exams are coming._ " Jihoon said in his calmest voice. He closed his eyes and hoped that his mom would buy it.

" _Oh. Okay, take your time! Group study isn't exactly good, but if it helps you then okay. Just remember why you came here, Jihoonie."_ Jihoon's shoulder droops. He heaves a sigh and answers, " _Yes, mama."_

Jihoon ended the call after his mother bid good bye. He takes a deep breath one more time and stares at his phone. A pair of strong arms hugs him from behind and snatches the phone from his hand. Jihoon turns his head to see his boyfriend's chin rested on his shoulder.

" _Who were you talking to, Jihoonie?"_ Soonyoung asks as he rummaged through Jihoon's phone. Jihoon gets his phone and puts it on the call logs. He then shows it to Soonyoung. Soonyoung squints his eyes and reads, " _Mama?"_ Soonyoung asks. Jihoon nods and sighs. Soonyoung's eyes widened in surprise. He then pulls away from the hug and turns Jihoon to make him face Soonyoung.

" _Jihoonie! You just talked with mother-in-law? Why didn't you introduce me yet?"_  Soonyoung says in a sad tone.

Jihoon smiled and hugged the man. He burried his face on Soonyoung's chest and says, " _Not now, Soonyoung."_ Soonyoung hugs him back.

" _Introduce me soon, okay?_ " He says as he caressed Jihoon's hair with one hand and his back with the other. Jihoon hugged him tightly and nodded. Suddenly, his mother's voice echoed louder and louder, and he could only hug Soonyoung. Soonyoung makes him feel safer, Soonyoung temporarily silences those echoing voices.

  
Days passed, and this returned to the way they were. Everything except Jihoon. Jihoon has been acting weird, and even the four walls of the cramped music room, the harmony of the instruments and voices, it wasn't enough to block his mother's voice. Soonyoung noticed how Jihoon has been acting strange. He wouldn't want to stay at his house with Soonyoung, and he rarely goes out with him.

Jihoon didn't gave him the cold treatment, Jihoon was still warm. Jihoon was just cautious, he grew scared of his mother appearing in front of him and dragging him home. He was scared to leave Soonyoung, and he was afraid that no matter how much he loves him, he won't be able to fight for him. He was still scared of his mother's voice, he was scared of the responsibilities, he was scared of leaving everything behind.

It was before a gig that he grew some balls. He sat on the couch backstage, not really paying attention to what his bandmates were talking about. Soonyoung places a hand over his shaking ones and nods. With his other hand, he gestures to the door. Jihoon smiles, Soonyoung drags him out of the room. They sat outside the bar were their gig was held. They sat on the hood of Soonyoung's car, Soonyoung's hand over Jihoon's small one. He looks at Jihoon's face and flashes an assuring smile.

" _Whatever it is that you're scared of, don't worry. You have me."_ Soonyoung's eyes formed beautiful crescents. Jihoon feels something starts bubbling inside him. It was fizzy, and he liked it. Soonyoung opens his arms and offers Jihoon a hug, Jihoon gladly accepts it. He decided to savor the warm feeling, he decided to listen to Soonyoung.

He listens to Soonyoung, and it was more than enough to give him courage to face his fears. It was more than enough to make his mother's voice leave his mind, it was more than enough to set him free. Jihoon smiles as he hugged the man. He burries his chest in an attempt to hide his grin. He thinks to himself, " _I have Soonyoung, and it's all that matters."_

Their intimate moment was cut by Seungcheol's hysterical voice which they think came from inside the bar. Soonyoung lets out a small laughter and breaks the hug. He kissess the top of Jihoon's head and smiles.

" _Let's go?_ " And he offers his hand, which Jihoon gladly takes.

They walked back inside and receives a scolding from their band's father. Jihoon tries his best to hold back his laughter as Soonyoung does a very lame impersonation of Seungcheol's speech. They got caught, which earned them a hit. They returned backstage for one last rehearsal, and they played on stage. Jihoon played as if it will be the last time he will play. He gives it his all, and his members felt Jihoon's passion, so how could they let Jihoon outshine them? Just like that, everyone started feeling competitive, resulting to a performance of a lifetime. They were very sweaty (especially Soonyoung), they were a bit tired, but nevertheless, they felt contented.

  
All is well.

 

_Except from the corner of the room, a man in his late twenties talks to someone whose voice is very familiar to Jihoon._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The stargazing scene though sml for SoonHoon THE WORLD NEEDS MORE SOONHOON


	3. Three

Jihoon goes home a month after for the celebration of his mother's birthday. He faced the blue walls of his large room. He scans the room and sees his electronic keyboard. He smiles at the memory of his boyfriend playing keyboard with all his heart.

 

His boyfriend has been busy with their family business for he will take over it anytime after graduation. Still, he never forgot to send texts to Jihoon.

Jihoon walks to the said instrument, plugs it to the nearest outlet, and starts to play. He closed his eyes, and he sees their band. The image of his boyfriend's back as he played the keyboard filled his mind. He sees his boyfriend turning his head to look at him from time to time. He wore a sweatband but sweat still ran down his face. His white muscle tee clung unto his finely built body. Jihoon remembers Soonyoung's voice, his laughter, and the piece they practiced together. His dongsaeng heard the beautiful melody from his room, and it somehow made him happier. His mother that listened from the other side of the door, however, was not very pleased.

 

Jihoon sat at the very familiar dining room. Everything was same as before, except the food was more than the last time he remembered. A large cake rested in the middle of the table, and his father gives his mother a short sweet kiss on the forehead before greeting her a happy birthday.

His hyung was there, too. Jihoon wanted to be happy for his mother, but all he can feel towards the woman was fear and subtle hint of anger. The tension in the room was more bearable. His mother gives a small speech. She then reminds everyone for the party that will be held that night. Jihoon thought the talks would end there, so he started wiping the corners of his lips and prepares to leave. As soon as he stood up, his mother calls his name. He looks at his mother a blank face, and the smile appeared on his mother's face. She then continues what he wants to tell.

" _Jihoonie, I heard you were in a band."_

Jihoon felt a lump in his throat, still he gave his mother an empty stare. His younger brother looked rather delighted.

" _Really, hyung? That's so cool!_ " He exclaimed. Jihoon gave him a small smile, but he earned a look from their mother. His younger brother suddenly felt the tension so he goes back to playing with his food. Jihoon's mother looked at him with the same smile and speaks.

" _Jihoonie, do your mother a favor and quit the band, will you?"_

Everything went silent. His younger brother's face showed a mixture of sadness and shock, his elder brother kept his mouth shut like his father. Jihoon was scared that this moment will come, but he isn't, at least not anymore. He just gave his mother a bow and walked to his room.

As soon as he gets there, he leaves his door open, he plugs the keyboard and played. It was a sound of freedom, a rebel song, as if telling his mother that his answer is a no. It was a song fueled by passion, by the desire to go on.

The sound echoed within the house, his brothers were proud of Jihoon, but their mother grew furious. She enters Jihoon's room, unplugs the keyboard, and forcefully throws it to the floor. Jihoon heard a loud thud. Jihoon's eyes went wide in shock, his mother who was always well composed threw a fit. He looked at his mother who was panting. His mother took a deep breath and gives him the same smile before walking out the door of his room. Instead of feeling scared, a satisfied grin spread across his face. Behind her smiles, Jihoon finally saw who his mother really is. His gaze shifted to the keyboard that laid on the floor. He crouches and inspects what was broken. He was happy that it only earned a few scratches and a dent. He puts it to its proper place and he lies on his bed.

 

He went to his mother's party that night as a sign of respect. He didn't finish the party and traveled back to Seoul that night.

 

Jihoon wakes up in his bed in their shared apartment. He was happy to be back. He hugs his extra pillow tightly and smiles. He hears soft knocks followed by the sound of his door opening. He peeks through his pillow to see who it was and was shocked to see his boyfriend's face. He buries his head back to the pillow and tries his best to cover his face. He felt a part of his mattress dip and he hears his boyfriend's small laughter. The man played with the strands of Jihoon's hair.

" _Yeobo~ I know that you're awake. C'mon let's eat breakfast!"_

Jihoon peeks through the pillow and sees the man. He really isn't dreaming. He can feel the man's fingers against his hair. He slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes.

" _Don't look at me, my face is swollen."_ Jihoon says as he covered his face with both hands. Soonyoung held his hands and pulls it down. Soonyoung looked at Jihoon. His bed hair was horrible, his eyes were very chinky, his face is swollen from the hours of sleep, and Soonyoung felt very lucky to have witnessed this. He felt a smile crept on his face as he stared at Jihoon. Jihoon felt his cheeks heat up.

" _Hey! Don't laugh at my morning face!"_

Jihoon says as he tries to remove his hands from Soonyoung's grasp. He fails because maybe Soonyoung's hand was bigger and stronger, or maybe because he just didn't try hard enough. Soonyoung smiles widely and tries to kiss Jihoon's lips. Jihoon acts quick and pries his hands from Soonyoung's hold and covers his lips with it. Soonyoung gives him a questioning look. Soonyoung noticed the tinge of pink on Jihoon's cheeks and the prominent reddening of the man's ears. Jihoon looks down before he speaks.

" _Morning breath."_

Soonyoung lets out a hearty laughter, Jihoon felt more embarrassed. After his short fit of laughter, Soonyoung removes Jihoon's hands and kisses him square on the lips. It was a soft, innocent kiss. Jihoon couldn't respond and Soonyoung breaks the kiss. He gives another kiss on Jihoon's forehead and tells Jihoon that he will be waiting by the dining table before walks out of the room.

Jihoon goes out of his room five minutes later. He is still clad in his pajamas, but he already washed his face. Jihoon sat beside Soonyoung and asks him.

" _What are you doing here?"_

Soonyoung smiles and pinches Jihoon's nose before he kissed its tip.

" _Good morning to you too, yeobo."_ Soonyoung smiles, elbows on the table as his face rested on his palms. Soonyoung threw exchanging looks at Jihoon and the pile of pancakes in front of him before his face forms a frown.

" _Yeobo, I will feel sad if you don't eat the pancakes I cooked for you."_ And Soonyoung shows his puppy eyes. Jihoon sighs and smiles. He then took a bite on the pancake, but spits it afterwards. Soonyoung looks shocked.

" _Ack... What did you use for his? It tastes... Weird?_ " Jihoon says. Soonyoung hurriedly cuts a piece for himself and takes a bite, which he spits afterwards. He gives Jihoon an apologetic but mischievous smile.

" _Haha, silly me. I think I used salt instead of sugar. Sorry yeobo~"_ Soonyoung says as he shows his cutest face to Jihoon. Jihoon feels his fingers curl from the cheesiness, but he laughs anyways. They threw the pancakes, Jihoon changes his clothes, and they went outside to eat a decent breakfast meal.

" _How did you get inside our house, anyway?"_ Jihoon asks as they walked on their way home.

" _Your housemate that wears glasses gave me spare keys the last time. He said I should put it to good use. I'm pretty good with following instructions, huh."_ Soonyoung says cheekily. Jihoon pinched his nose.

" _Yup, except you used lots of salt instead of sugar for the pancake mix. You sure do follow instructions._ " Jihoon says in a mocking tone before he lets go of Soonyoung's cheek. Soonyoung asks about his housemates' whereabouts.

" _Oh, they both have exams and decided to stay over at their friends' houses for a group study. They kept cramming and procrastinating, so they're now paying the price._ " Jihoon states.

They arrived at Jihoon's house. Jihoon took a bath and his boyfriend offers to walk to school with him so he waited at the living room. As he stared in the mirror and saw his reflection, he smiles widely and says, " _I could get used to this."_

 

  
Just as Jihoon was enjoying his student life, he wakes up and sees the familiar blue walls and the slightly scratched and dented electronic keyboard. He felt a wave of sadness engulf his being.


	4. Five

He laid back on his bed and stared at the ceiling. He felt the corners of his eyes starting to tear. He sniffs and remembered how he got here.

 

_Jihoon's mother was obsessive and is a control freak. She hated anything that didn't go accordingly to her plans. She hates not having in control of anything. For Jihoon's mother, what Jihoon did was a declaration of war. She hired someone to watch Jihoon and as soon as she knew that Jihoon continued with the band and is having an affair with a man, she explodes out of anger. Jihoon was supposed to take over their company and marry one of the daughters of their shareholders, and she thinks Jihoon joining a band, let alone having intimate relationships with another man, is out of the plan. She sent their bodyguards to take Jihoon by any means. The last memory Jihoon has about the school was him going to the music room from his house when someone grabs him and covers his nose and mouth with a handkerchief before everything went black._

 

It has been three days since he woke up in this room. His cellphone was taken away from him, and the computer in his room was disconnected from the wifi. He has been thinking of ways to contact his boyfriend. "He must be worried sick by now." he says to himself. He was also worried of how their band will be. His boyfriend has been very dependent on him and he had grown dependent on the man too.

 

Jihoon remembered the things that happened after he woke up in this room. He tried his best to open the door, but it was locked from the outside. When he gave up from trying to open the door, his mother enters the room and Jihoon has never seen her this angry. She slapped Jihoon, earning a gasp from the young man. She stared at Jihoon's eyes with so much anger.

 

" _You're ruining our plans! How could you? First, you disobeyed be by joining that stupid band, and now, you're having a relationship with a man? You're a disgrace to this family! Now, stay here and get your head straight. Learn your lesson."_

_His mother slams the door shut and locks it. Jihoon sat there, still trying to take in what just happened. Tears started streaming down his face. The word disgrace kept repeating on his head in his mother's spiteful voice. He cried for a moment, but Soonyoung's voice plays on his head. He cries even harder because he was worried for the man._

 

 

  
Jihoon hasn't showed up on their practice for the third time, and the band can't slack off because of an upcoming gig. Soonyoung stared at the drum set and sits there. He knows how to play it, he has watched Jihoon do it for almost a thousand times. He closes his eyes and he imagines how Jihoon would play it.

He misses Jihoon, and this drum set was his only connection to him now. He won't take calls, and his stuff wasn't at the apartment he shared with two other men. He hits the cymbals and the drums with utmost precision. He plays and asks in his mind, " _Am I doing it right, Jihoonie?"_ He opens his eyes and notices that his bandmates were now playing with him. He looked at his keyboard and smiles as he continues to play. " _So this is how Jihoon felt, it must be hard, because it felt like the whole band depended on his beat. But it feels fulfilling, no Jihoonie?_ " He closes his eyes and plays, hoping that the beats and the sounds would reach Jihoon's heart.

 

 

  
Jihoon grew tired of doing nothing. He plugs the keyboard, tries if the sound is messed up, and sighs in relief when he confirmed that nothing is damaged. He took a deep breath and closes his eyes. He imagines his band, he runs a hand on the keys. He knows how to play the song, for he watched Soonyoung play it countless of times as he played the drums. He hears the sound of the drums he used, and he finds himself playing along with the beat. He remembers every song they played, and every sound the instruments made. He knows it like the back of his hand. He imagines the performance in Soonyoung's point of view. " _It must be hard for you, your instrument is an important melody to each song._ " After finishing a setlist, he cries. He played the song, but it felt incomplete.

 

 

  
As soon as a setlist was finished, Soonyoung stops playing the drums. When he hits the drum one last time, one drumstick broke in two. The instruments and the voices, it's not the same without him. Soonyoung's grip on the drumsticks tightens and he couldn't help but cry. His bandmates decided to take a break to comfort their younger member.

 

  
After Jihoon cried his heart out, he hears a knock on the door. The door was opened and it revealed his younger brother. He quickly wipes his tears and gives him a small smile. His brother didn't buy it, though. He sat next to Jihoon and gave his hand a comforting hold. He looks outside. When he made sure that the guard was looking the other way, he lends Jihoon his cellphone. His brother whispers.

" _Hyung, quick! Before they find out! Call help or something. Quick!"_

Jihoon was still in a state of panic, but he does as he's told. He quickly types a message to the number he memorized and presses send. His brother pries it from his grasp and reasoned out to the guard.

" _We're just playing this multiplayer game, what's your problem?"_

His brother was escorted outside as he gave Jihoon a sorry smile. Jihoon gives him a rather thankful one.

 

  
In the middle of Soonyoung's sobbing, he hears his phone beep. He hurriedly gets it in hopes that Jihoon would text him and tell him what's happening. Why did he leave without a reason? Soonyoung needed reasons, but he needs Jihoon more than anything else. He was disappointed when he didn't see Jihoon's name flashed on his phone screen, but he is still hoping. He opens the message from an unknown number.

_From: Unknown number_

_I'm sorry I left, Yeobo. Don't worry, I'm alright._

 

Soonyoung knew everything was not alright, and he cries once again. He felt useless and hopeless. Good thing his members were there for him, he needs all the comfort he can get.

 

 

Jihoon's brother sat on his floor, back against Jihoon's door. He looked at his phone and look was happy that the number his brother texted replied

_From: Unknown number_

_Yeobo, where are you? Can you at least tell me where you are? Everyone is getting worried, please._

His inbox was soon spammed by texts from the man. Every time he gets the chance, he lets his brother read what his boyfriend texted but they always get caught before Jihoon could reply. Good thing that the phone was still with him. Yes, he knew that his brother is gay, but he knows that his brother doesn't deserve this treatment. But like his brother, he was scared of their mother. However, when he hears from his room that Jihoon was slapped again and was being degraded by their homophobic mother, he couldn't just do nothing. He sends a text to his brother's boyfriend in high hopes of him rescuing him in the next days and he barges in his brother's room to stop his mother from hurting his brother.

 

  
It has been a week since Soonyoung received the text. He has been texting the number everytime he gets the chance. He'd tell him how they're doing without him and all sorts of stuff. The last gig was okay, but of course it was different without Jihoon. He stares at the ceiling when he heard his phone beep. He opened it hoping that Jihoon would finally respond to his texts.

_From: Unknown number_

_Please help my brother, they are confining him because he wanted to play and because they knew he was in love with a man. You're the only one I can ask this favor. Please help him._

 

It was sent with an attachment file that contained their address. He quickly tells his roommate and bandmate about the text. Seungcheol pats his back and sighs.

 

" _I guess we need to play acoustic for a while. You're not getting paid for this, okay?"_ He tells Soonyoung jokingly. Soonyoung smiles. His roommate stuffs his stuff in a bag and puts a hand on his shoulder.

 

" _You're a good drummer, but please get our drummer back."_

Soonyoung nods. He prepares his stuff. He places his bag at the backseat of his car and starts his journey to where his heart is.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're halfway through! Sorry for the short chaps and late ud, school is eating most of my time. Hope you liked it!


	5. Five

Soonyoung got lost a couple of times, but he arrived at Jihoon's house by six in the morning. He was intimidated by how Jihoon's house look. It was big, with a large garden and lawn. Their house screams elegance and sophistication, but Soonyoung can feel the sadness that was emitted from the house. He took a deep breath and rings the doorbell. It was opened by a maid.

" _What brings you here, young man_."

Soonyoung bows and politely responds. " _Good morning. I came to see Jihoon_."

A shocked expression was portrayed by the maid. She then speaks, " _I'm sorry, but sir Jihoon is not receiving any visitors right now. I'm sorry."_

 

It has been the same for three days straight. However, Soonyoung was very persistent. He waited ouside the gates and leaves only when he needs to buy food or to go to a bathroom. Until one day,

" _Let him in."_

The maid's voice was frightened by the voice of a man. The maid looks at the man behind him. The man had an intimidating presence.

" _B-but sir, it was madame's order to--"_

The man didn't look like he cared. He repeats what he said in a firmer voice.

" _Let him in."_

The maid bows and follows the man's order. The man looked at Soon young and gestured him to follow him. Soonyoung complies. The man lead him to a large living area. He made Soonyoung sit on a couch and sits across him.

" _Who are you? What do you want with my son?"_

Soonyoung was nervous. He wanted to meet them, but he didn't expect he'd meet the person in this situation.

" _I'm his lover, sir. I came here to fetch him because our band won't be the same without him." My life won't be the same without him._

Soonyoung places a flash drive in front of them. He continues speaking.

" _This flash drive contains videos of our performances with and without Jihoon. Please, see the look on Jihoon's face when he plays. Please don't make him stop."_

And Soonyoung kneels in front of Jihoon's father.

" _I know it's not much, but watch him play. After watching that, decide if you still want him to stop."_

Jihoon's father picks up the flash drive and places it in his pocket.

" _Stand up, young man."_

Soonyoung lifts his head and sees the man gesturing him to stand.

" _I'll get straight to the point. I have nothing against homosexual relationships, I actually like you for our son, but it's not me who you need to please._ " The man stands up and continues speaking. " _His mother has serious control issues. She thinks all of this is wrong, and he strongly opposes the idea of our company's heir falling for another man. Even if you meet her, she'll insist that you don't deserve our son. I'll let you see him, but you need to leave soon. Come back when you have proven yourself. Prove that my wife is wrong. I have faith in you. Follow me."_

The man starts walking, Soonyoung following behind him. The man unlocks the door and opens it wide enough for Soonyoung to see Jihoon's room. Soonyoung bowed at the man and he enters Jihoon's room.

 

 

  
Jihoon couldn't sleep. The words his mothers said kept ringing inside his head. If it wasn't for his brother, he would've talked back to his mother. Jihoon rolled on his bed a few more times before he decides to sit up straight. He scanned his room and saw the keyboard. A weak smile appeared on his face. He sits in front of it, and just as he was about to play, he hears the door open. He turns his head to see who enters his room at this early hour and was shocked at what he saw.

Soonyoung stood by his door. He sat there frozen, unable to process anything. Soonyoung starts sniffing and walks to him. He wraps Jihoon in a warm hug and Jihoon loses it. He starts crying. He hugs Soonyoung back and burries his face unto the man's chest. He pulls away and asks the man.

" _What are you doing here?"_

Soonyoung smiles.

" _I came here to fetch you, but I guess now's not the right time, huh."_

Jihoon's brows furrowed. He opens his mouth, but he can't put the words together. Soonyoung smiles at him as a tear fell from his eye. Soonyoung brought his hand to Jihoon's face and wipes the tears that kept streaming down. He pressed a soft kiss on Jihoon's forehead and speaks.

" _I'll come back for you, and when I do, you have to come with me. Until then, will you be strong? Will you promise not to cry?"_

Jihoon speaks with a broken voice.

" _I-I'll try."_

Soonyoung hugs Jihoon and kisses his forehead one last time.

" _I'll come back for you. I promise."_

Soonyoung walks towards Jihoon's room's door, but turns around before he exits.

" _Advance happy birthday, Merry Christmas, hapy valentines, and happy anniversary, yeobo."_

And Soonyoung smiles at Jihoon.

Jihoon knew that it was still the first week of July, Soonyoung knew it too, but Soonyoung doesn't know when he'll get to see Jihoon again. Jihoon knows that too.

Jihoon watched by his window as Soonyoung left their house. Soonyoung looks his way and waves, Jihoon does the same.

 

 

Jihoon held unto Soonyoung's promise. It fueled his will to live. His words were more than enough to give Jihoon the strength to endure the harsh words his mother said.

Three months has passed, Jihoon has lost his sense of time, but he trusts Soonyoung. He believed in his promise. Jihoon wakes up in the middle of his sleep when he hears the door open. He was too tired to face whoever that person is, so he pretends that he is sleeping. He felt someone sit on his bed. The person brushed the lose strands of Jihoon's hair away from his face. Jihoon's hair grew longer, but he looked the same. Suddenly, the person's hand started to shake. He heard sobs, but he kept his eyes closed.

" _I'm sorry, Jihoonie. Mama regrets what she did. I hope you'll forgive mama, but I still don't like that boy for you. I hate his guts. I hate him so much. He looks like the type of guy that plays with people's feelings. He's not worthy for your love. I'm sorry Jihoonie._ "

Jihoon felt a tear stream down his face, but the darkness of his room made it possible to go unnoticed. His mother kissed his forehead and walked out of his room.

The next day, his room was no longer locked but he still can't leave the house. His mother fixed his papers and changed his curriculum to the online courses. Since it was by the same University, his grades for the first semester were credited. His mother and father brought him to their company more often. He started learning business firsthand. He was also given an intern position in their company.

His mother was less strict. However, he wasn't able to call or text anyone else, his phone was for business purposes only. Social networking sites were blocked from his phone and computer. He was allowed to go outside but only if he brings at least three bodyguards with him. He was trapped, but deep inside, Jihoon has forgiven her mother. He knows his mom is trying her best, and Jihoon is okay with it.

 

Months went by a blur, but it felt like an eternity for Jihoon. It has been more than a year since Jihoon last saw Soonyoung, and he was still holding unto his promise. Jihoon is now preparing for a visit in their house. A shareholder is going to visit and talk business over dinner. He has been hearing a lot about this investor. People from his company said something about being young but already accomplished. His parents assigned him to talk with the man. A maid came to tell him that the visitor is already downstairs. He nods and starts going down.

 

Their dining table was filled with many variants of food. Jihoon notices the cake by middle of the table. He shrugs his shoulders and sat as he waited for the investor. He looks at his wristwatch and looks at the time. He then heard footsteps. He turned his head and saw a familiar face.

 

  
" _Happy Birthday, Yeobo. I came to fetch you."_


	6. Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What Soonyoung has been through the past year

 

Soonyoung went back to Seoul with a heavy heart, but he was very determined. He told his bandmates that he won't be with them for a while, but he promised to come back before their senior year ends. Seungcheol understood. They've been doing acoustic sets since then. Soonyoung shifts to online classes but with the same course. He travels to the main branch of their company and started studying how to run it with the help of his uncle.

 

Every Friday without fail, he comes to the company of Jihoon's family. He always asked for an appointment with his mother. Of course, Jihoon's mother recognized his name and won't let him go on a meeting with him, but Soonyoung was stubborn. By the third month, his mother grew tired and decided to tell to Soonyoung's face how much he dislikes and despises him for everything he did to Jihoon. The meeting, however, didn't go as she planned.

She lets Soonyoung sit and starts talking.

" _I'll be honest with you. You are a bad influence for my son. Because of you and that band of yours, he has been losing focus on what his priorities should be. He should be marrying a daughter of our shareholders, not a lowly man like you. Now, you may take your leave."_

But Soonyoung didn't budge from his seat. Instead, he looks at her eyes and speaks with much conviction.

" _I love your son, madame. And I'm sorry if you see me that way. I'll come back here, and I'll prove my self to you. I hope by that time, you can accept me for Jihoon. Also, the band was never a bad thing for Jihoon, and Jihoon never lost sight of his priorities. He'd attend practice, but he never skipped class. He never crammed or procrastinated."_

Soonyoung smiles at the memory of Jihoon studying diligently and how he manages his time with ease. He looks into Jihoon's mother's eyes, hoping that his words can make her understand.

" _Just like me, Jihoon wanted to enjoy music one last time before we get thrown in the real world, I hope you understand now."_

 

Soonyoung stands and speaks one last time.

" _The times Jihoon and I spent with the band were precious for me, and I know it's also precious for Jihoon. If you want, I left a flash drive that contains all our performances with and without Jihoon. I gave it to your husband, I hope you can give it a look."_

Soonyoung bows and heads out.

 

  
( _Jihoon's mother watched it with Jihoon's father that night, and he saw how happy Jihoon looked every time he plays. They also saw how Jihoon and Soonyoung looked at each other with such loving eyes, but she pretends that she didn't. She had a short argument with his husband that night. His husband confronts her about her issues, but he was the first to apologize. She comes to Jihoon's room that night and asks for Jihoon's forgiveness. She makes up her mind that even if she doesn't like Soonyoung for Jihoon, he'll give the boy another chance. She can't accept Soonyoung for now, and she can't do much about her issues just yet, but she promised that she'll try_.)

 

  
The time Soonyoung spent in his company were actually paid. His uncle gave him as much salary as a regular employee. He was happy that Soonyoung was learning the ropes of their business quite easily. Soonyoung was pulling another all-nighter on their office when his uncle came to his office.

" _Soonyoung, why are you doing this?"_

Soonyoung smiles at his uncle and removes his eyeglasses.

" _I'm doing this to prove that I'm a worthy person, uncle."_

His uncle was happy at the thought of Soonyoung doing it just to prove himself that he is worthy for the company, but Soonyoung sighs and finishes his statement.

" _You see, there's this person I really love, but his mother sees me as unworthy of his son's love. I tried proving my self but she didn't understand, it wasn't enough for her. So here I am, trying to prove my self in a way they can understand."_

His uncle feels more proud of Soonyoung. He didn't really cared that his nephew loved another man, what matters was that his nephew loves someone. He loved it to the point of sacrificing this much.

" _You've grown to a fine man, Soonyoung. May I know who the lucky person is?"_

Soonyoung looks into nothingness, his eyes sparkled at the thought of the man. He snaps out of his trance and looks at his uncle.

" _Lee Jihoon, uncle. The son of the Lee Group of Companies. I heard they even have their own law firms and hospitals. We've got a lot of catching up to do, don't we?_ " Soonyoung says with fire in his eyes. He was really motivated. His uncle smiles and stood up.

" _If you were to ask me, I'd want you to finish your education first. However, you could start by investing in their company, don't you think? I'll take my leave now. You should go home soon."_

Soonyoung thanks his uncle and he finishes his last piece of paperwork.

 

  
The next time Soonyoung meets with Jihoon's parents, it was during a formal business meeting. He came as an individual. He didn't mention anything about the company that would soon be his. He didn't use the company's money either, he used the money he earned and saved plus the money his parents left in his account.

Soonyoung wore a navy blue blazer over his white button up. A neck tie of the same color as his suit was neatly placed around the collar of the button up. He sat with much poise. Jihoon's father couldn't help but smile while his mother was still shocked. He starts to speak.

" _Good day, Mister CEO and Madame COO. I personally came here to speak to you about investing in this company."_ Soonyoung says with much confidence. Jihoon's mother responds.

" _Good day to you too, Mister Kwon. I suppose you have seen where your money will be going if you invest in our company. And how much do you wish to invest in our company?"_ Jihoon's mother gave him a challenging look. Soonyoung smiles at Jihoon's mother.

" _It isn't much, but I'd like to invest an initial of 150,000 dollars."_ Soonyoung states his price. Jihoon's mother had an unwavering look in her eyes.

 

" _And who shall I name the investment under? Under Kwon Enterprises, perhaps?"_

 

Soonyoung shook his head and smiles. " _I'm quite offended, Miss COO. I worked for that money, my parents' company didn't have much involvement with that amount."_ Jihoon's father was quite impressed, but Jihoon's mother was getting frustrated. Soonyoung smiles at Jihoon's dad before he continues.

 

 

  
" _Also, I'd like to name the investment under Lee Jihoon's name."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will upload the final chapter tomorrow. Thanks for reading this fic!


	7. Heard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Soonyoung comes back for Jihoon.

  
Soonyoung entered the familiar house. He walked towards the dining area and sees Lee Jihoon. He smiles.

 

" _Happy Birthday, Yeobo. I came to fetch you."_

Soonyoung looks at his phone and turns to Jihoon.

" _First sem is almost coming to an end, I believe we have a lot of papers to fix of we want to enroll to this year's second sem. We also have a lot of catching up to do."_

Jihoon couldn't believe his eyes, but he ran to the man who wore a neat black and gray suit. The man spread his arms, and Jihoon more than willingly leaps in to those familiar arms. Jihoon cries in happiness.

 

" _I believed you'd come back for me. I missed you."_

Soonyoung hugs him tighter.

" _Thank you for believing in me. I missed you too."_

Soonyoung pressed a kiss on the top of Jihoon's head and pulls away from the hug.

" _Someone wants to talk to you before we go."_

Soonyoung steps aside, and Jihoon saw his mother and father behind him. Jihoon gave them a confused look. His mother spread her arms. Jihoon almost ran to those arms. She hugs her. He pulls away and asks.

" _Mama, Dad, what is the meaning of this?"_

Jihoon's mother and father envelopes him with a hug, and somehow this house felt more like a home.

" _I'm sorry, Jihoonie. You had it tough, ey? You're now free."_

Jihoon didn't need more words. He pulled away from the hug and gave his parents a shocked face. His father nodded as sign of confirmation. He hugs them both again. His father whispers something to his ears that made him blush. They pulled away and his mother started wiping her tears. Soonyoung watched them with a smile. Jihoon's father starts to speak.

" _Oh, you should leave in the morning. Let's eat now, shall we?"_

 

The three sat in their usual places along the long dining table. Jihoon's younger brother came running down the stairs afterwards and sees Soonyoung standing by the doorway. A playful smiles across his lips as he pulled Soonyoung and make him sit at his usual spot, the spot between Jihoon and his mother. Jinyoung then sits at the spot where his eldest brother used to sit. His father raised his hand in front of Jinyoung, and Jinyoung gives the man a high five. Soonyoung felt embarrassed. Jihoon smiles at him. Soonyoung turns his face to Jihoon's mother and gave her a curt nod. He did the same when he looked at his father and brother. Jihoon smiles at his boyfriend's cuteness. They all ate with smiles on their faces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
Jihoon and Soonyoung came back and enrolled on their second year second sem in the same University. They walked hand-in-hand and stops in front of the familiar music room. Voices can be heard from inside the room. Soonyoung and Jihoon nooded at each other and they opened the door. They saw the same three people sitting in their usual spots.

Seungcheol stands up.

" _I guess we won't be doing acoustics for our last sem."_

Jeonghan pulls Jihoon and Soonyoung in the room. They were now enveloped in a group hug from the three people. Jisoo smiles and gives Jihoon a new set of drumsticks.

" _Welcome back, Jihoon, Soonyoung."_

Jeonghan pulls Soonyoung towards the new keyboard and Jisoo pulls Jihoon to the new drumset. They go to their places and Jeonghan speaks.

" _Let's see if you still got it, guys."_

Soonyoung smiles.

" _The old setlist A?"_

Seungcheol also smiled and nods. " _Yup, the good old setlist A."_

Everyone goes to their proper places and turns their head to see Jihoon. Jihoon nods with a smile. He hits his drumsticks together.

" _A one... A two... A one, two, three, and!"_

And the same music room was filled with a happy melody.

 

Everything was back to the way it used to be, except his mother's voice don't haunt him anymore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  
" _Confucious once said something along the lines, do a work you love and you'll never have to work for the rest of your lives. Well, it's not entirely wrong, but I say make the thing your good at as your profession, and the thing you love the most as your hobby. That way, you won't feel the pressure of doing what you love because your pay depended on it. So, that concludes my speech. Any questions?"_

A young boy at the age of 15 raises his hand. The people from the venue gave him a microphone.

" _Good day, Mister Lee. I would like to ask, what can you say about the saying,'Follow your heart'?"_

 

Jihoon smiles. He is currently standing in front of students who were uncertain of what they want to take for high school and college. He was invited as a speaker because he was known as one of the youngest and most successful CEOs and company owner. He was invited to represent the business industry. Jihoon thanks the boy who asked and responds to the question.

 

" _If you ask me, I'll tell you to follow your heart. Follow it as much as you can, but take into consideration what your brain has to say. I don't mean to always play safe, no, we don't want that, because sometimes, we take risks for those that are worth the risk. In life, we always need balance, not all good, but not all bad. There are chances you can't let pass, and things you need to let go in return. You also don't need to rush, sometimes it's better to take it slow. And as the saying goes, good things come to those who wait. Let's learn to take risks, to live in the moment. Maximize resources to outweigh the cost. Live life to the fullest so we won't have much regrets, so we can tell that we lived."_

Another girl raises her hands and asks.

" _Mister Lee, you mentioned something about the band that you're in. Do you still play nowadays?"_

Jihoon smiles at the memories of their band. He brings the mic closer to his face and he speaks.

 

" _We still play. I mean, we're still young, I'm only 24 and the others are only 25 or so. We'd get calls from time to time, too. And although we grew up and had our jobs, we have time for the thing we love, we make time for music."_

 

A man who wore a mask and cap raised his hand. The organizer hands him a microphone.

" _Mister Lee_ ," Jihoon looks at the man with the very familiar voice. The man removes his cap and his face mask. Jihoon brings the palm of his hand to his forehead and sighs as many teenagers squeal as they looked at his boyfriend.

 

_Soonyoung is quite famous in the business world, too. As soon as he took over their company, they almost caught up to the assets of Lee GOC, but since Jihoon had a head start, the competition isn't easy. He looks at his boyfriend who started walking down the center row and stopped after he goes up the stage and was in front of Jihoon._

 

Jihoon gave him a challenging look. He then asks, "Yes, Mister Kwon?"

 

_Some people saw the Kwon Enterprises and the Lee Group of Companies as rival companies, but little did they know that the companies support each other._

 

Soonyoung smiles and everyone was shocked when Soonyoung kneels on one knee and pulls out a ring.

" _Mister Lee, would you like to change your surname to Kwon?"_

Jihoon was happy beyond words. Tears of Joy were threatening to fall down his face, but he composed himself and speaks.

" _Just so you know, the opportunity cost of saying yes to you is quite high. However, If I do, Mister Kwon, what will be in it for me?"_

Soonyoung lets out a small laugh because of his boyfriend's attempt to be in character.

" _Well, you'll have me, your hot, handsome, multi talented bandmate who also happened to be your college sweetheart, for the rest of our lives. Oh, I also have this undying love. Will that be profitable enough for your side?"_

Jihoon giggles at his boyfriend's attempt to play along with him.

" _Well, it's not exactly profitable, but it's a tempting offer."_

Soonyoung responds.

" _It's a one time offer! Grab it before it's gone._ " and Soonyoung winks.

Jihoon laughs and nods his head. " _Okay, okay."_

 

In all honesty, Soonyoung was freaking nervous, so he asks Jihoon again after Jihoon says okay.

 

" _Okay what, Mister Lee?"_

Jihoon smiles and stands, he makes Soonyoung stand up as well.

" _It's one of those chances which I can't let pass, so okay. Okay, I'll marry you, Mister Kwon."_

A playful grin spreads across Soonyoung's face.

" _Okay, I'll seal the deal then."_

  
And he pulled Jihoon for a short, sweet kiss. Jihoon blushes in embarrassment. Soonyoung rests his forehead against Jihoon and smiles. He pulls away and puts the ring on Jihoon's finger. Cheers from the students that listened to Jihoon's talk filled the auditorium.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

" _Wonwoo! A mail came in! It looks like a wedding invitation. Hurry! Quick!"_

 

Wonwoo is now a surgeon and currently lives with his boyfriend, who is a year younger than him and is a licensed nurse.

 

" _What's with all the fuss, Mingyu?"_ Wonwoo walked to where his boyfriend stood. His boyfriend excitedly hands him the invitation.

 

" _Who was it from, Wonwoo hyung?"_

 

Wonwoo smiles. He pulls out his phone and dials his old housemate's number.

" _Jun, have you received the invitation? My gosh, I can't believe that kid!. . . Yeah, that kid, always getting ahead of us, his hyungs. I'll give him a good hit when we attend his wedding. Oh, I gotta go. See you soon!"_

Mingyu stood beside Wonwoo, arms crossed, an eyebrow raised.

" _Did you just talked to Jun, your ex-crush?"_

Wonwoo didn't really get what Mingyu said, but he responds anyways.

" _Jun's a good friend. I guess I'll be seeing him soon."_ and Wonwoo smiles. Mingyu scoffs and carries Wonwoo bridal style, Wonwoo tries to escape Mingyu. In his attempt to free himself from Mingyu's grasp, all mails he held fell on the floor, including the blue and white invitation that read,

_You are cordially invited to_

_Lee Jihoon and Kwon Soonyoung's_

_Wedding Ceremony_

_(see inside for more details)_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this up to this point. This was different from my other stories, so it was quite challenging on my part. I hoped you liked it!
> 
> HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR GUYS!!!


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